Plant Styling with Monstera Lovin' @JadesJunglegram

She’s quite possibly the smiliest plant mom on Instagram with a carefully curated collection that induces envy in many. Here, we chat with Jade of @jadesjunglegram as she discusses her love of plants, offers her top tips on plants styling in your home and what plant is a must have for any plant collection.

 

What is it about houseplants that appeals to you? How did the love start? 

The honest answer is, they do wonders for my mental health! For me, plant care and self care go hand in hand. I love caring for them, watching them grow, I love the way they look in a room and I can’t imagine my home without them now! If I’m feeling anxious or stressed, sitting in my jungle living room, surrounded by plants, with a coffee and a good book always improves my mood. I first got into houseplants around 2-3 years ago. I was living in a tiny studio flat in the centre of a town - it had no garden, no greenery, very few windows and for a girl who loves the outdoors I was craving some nature! So I decided to bring the outside in and haven’t looked back since!

Your plant styling shows how you can create a beautiful indoor jungle without buying hundreds of plants. What are your top tips for incorporating plants into your home? 

Ah thank you so much! Yes, my collection would definitely be considered small compared to most in the plant community, my current count is around 65ish (although I’ll admit that figure is going up rather quickly!) Within my home I try to find the balance between minimal decor and jungle vibes, I prefer to have fewer plants and style them so that I can see, love and appreciate every single one that I own. I would get quite overwhelmed if every surface in my home was covered so I try to limit myself to only buying plants I truly love/want and not just buying them because of the hype! I’ll admit I quite often rearrange my plants, I carefully consider how each plant looks next to each other and within the room as a whole. I like to play with depth and grouping plants together with different size, shapes and textured leaves can really add character to a shelf or area of your home. My top tip is to think about where you’re going to put a plant before you buy one - do your research on the specific plant to find out how much light etc it needs so you know where it’ll thrive best in your home! 

Your above door plant shelf is the envy of many in the houseplant circle, how did you realise that this would be a great space for your plants? 

That wall of the room gets great indirect light all day but it has a door right in the spot where you’d logically want a plant shelf! So I decided to utilise the space and put the shelf above the door - little did I know it would look so friggin’ good!! I quite often get asked whether or not it’s a used doorway and I can confirm it is… none of the plants get damaged when opening/closing the door but I do have to keep an eye on how long the middle plants are trailing and occasionally trim or tie them up to make it practical! I honestly LOVE this area of my home, it’s definitely a big talking point and always gets a lot of love on the ‘gram too! 

What plant do you think should be in everyone’s collection? 

Without a doubt the Monstera! I currently own 5! Three very large mature ones, one more juvenile one and an Albo. They are so easy to care for and are SO stunning - the perfect combo! They give such tropical jungle vibes to your home and get more incredible with age in my opinion. The biggest one pictured below is around 30 years old - just look at those fenestrations!

What’s on your plant wishlist? 

I’m a big fan of the Anthurium Regale. I do love a big bold statement plant and these really are epic! 

Are there any plant purchases that you regret?

One of the first ever plants I bought was a Boston Fern and I killed it with kindness! Oops! I gave it lots of water and lots of light (Because that’s what plants want, right?!) and I was surprised when it wilted and died within days. Perhaps I should try one again now that I’m a bit more experienced with plant care but I feel like it put me off ferns for a while! 

If you had to pick just one, which plant in your collection would you save in a fire? 

It’d be quite difficult to get my giant 6ft Monstera out the door in a rush but it’d definitely give it a good go! 

If you'd like to see more of Jade and her jungle, give her a follow @jadesjunglegram